New Delhi: While the Narendra Modi government is facing a lot of flak from defence veterans for delaying the implementation of the One Rank One Pension scheme, it has been left red-faced now. Union Minister and former Army Chief General VK Singh’s daughter on Sunday joined the protest and urged her father for a speedy resolution.
Mrinalini Singh said, “I have come to express my solidarity. I thought if veterans can sit on hunger strike then I should also come and sit with them. I come from an Army family. Even my grandfather was a soldier and may be my son would also become one. I hope the government will soon heed to this demand. It’s a long over due and I did take up the issue with my father. He has written a letter to the Prime Minister.”
Since June 12, ex-servicemen, war widows and their families are protesting at Jantar Mantar in Delhi over the delay in the implementation of the scheme. The Narendra Modi government has reiterated its commitment towards the OROP but has refrained from giving a time frame on the its implementation claiming there are some technical difficulties involved.
Over 2.5 million strong ex-servicemen and war widows community has been demanding One Rank One Pension for almost four decades. It was being speculated that Modi will make an announcement on the scheme in his speech on Independence Day but he only reinstated his commitment and said that the demand will be fulfilled as soon as the technical nitty gritty is resolved.
The PM’s speech left the ex servicemen hugely disappointed as this was a key promise in Modi’s poll campaign during the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.
The protesting ex-servicemen and war widows have decided to boycott all the government programmes including the 50th anniversary of 1965 war with Pakistan, which the government is planning to celebrate on August 28.
